


feint attack

by orphan_account



Category: Persona 5
Genre: (i'm not writing more. you can't make me), Actual Detective Goro Akechi, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Pokemon Fusion, M/M, Pokemon, Pre-Slash, no actual shuake but more like a prelude to shuake if i wrote more
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:55:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22931371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A clandestine meeting at Vermilion Harbor during sunset sounds romantic in theory, but in practice, well...Things would've been easier if Akechi wasn't a detective. And if Ren hadn't been partially responsible for blowing up some warehouses earlier in the day.
Kudos: 53





	feint attack

**Author's Note:**

> I've been debating about posting this for over a month, but decided to do it because: a) it's Pokemon Day!; b) life is short, but regrets are eternal; c) enough time has passed since I first wrote this that I absolutely, positively, _never in a million years_ will ever do anything else with this verse. ~~i have so many short, truncated snippets and i hate it. pls ask me about the inane ideas i have~~
> 
> Despite the fact that this is a Pokemon AU, it's kind of light on the Pokemon! Alas.

There was something innately romantic about standing at Vermilion Harbor during the sunset. The sky was painted vivid shades of red and orange, and a breeze rustled through their hair, bringing with it the salty scent of the sea. Ren wasn't stupid enough to vocalize any of this, of course, but the picturesque setting did make him lower his guard. Just a little. Not too much, because he knew he couldn't trust Detective Goro Akechi, but... Well...

"This is romantic," he said, and he could have slapped himself when Akechi gave him a sour look.

"I'm so glad you can still find the humor in things after everything that's happened," Akechi said dryly. His shiny Corviknight, more silver in coloration than gunmetal gray, stared down Ren's Thievul as if daring him to do something.

Ren put a hand on Thievul's head and gave him a pet. Thievul leaned into it, but kept his eyes locked on Akechi's Corviknight. "Humor's how I cope with things," Ren said, sounding unconvincing even to his own ears. "I'm sorry; let's start over. You said you wanted to ask me about the explosion at the warehouses this morning?"

Akechi didn't really look any less sour, but his tone became less dry and more business-like. Ren's Thievul dared to take a step towards Akechi's Corviknight, and the larger Pokemon lowered his head just a fraction.

"Yes," Akechi said, watching Ren's Thievul out of the corner of his eye. "You were spotted among the crowd watching Kaneshiro's warehouse explode this morning."

"That's not a crime," Ren said when Akechi paused. His Thievul nudged even closer to Goro's Corviknight. "A building just exploded; it's kind of hard not to go look."

"Oh, I'm not saying you being a rubberneck is suspicious, Amamiya," Akechi said, fake TV smile plastered on his face and a dangerous glint in his eyes. "What I find strange is why you would be in Vermilion City at all. Weren't you seen in Lilycove Museum just two weeks ago, all the way in Hoenn? You seemed quite familiar with that disgraced artist's charge, too." Akechi's eyes narrowed. "Why, how odd that you've been spotted in two different regions in such a short span of time; in both cases, you were in the perfect position to witness the public downfall of a secret member of Team United Future as well."

"Pure coincidence," Ren said flatly. "I'm just unlucky that way."

"Unlucky, hm?" Akechi said, smile flattening at the edges and the look in his eyes growing even more dangerous. "I agree; these coincidences are most unlucky for you." He dropped the smile and sneered. Ren's Thievul, who had managed to edge past the halfway point between Ren and Akechi, suddenly backed up a step. 

"I am tired of playing games," Akechi said, voice low and dangerous. "I know you're associated with that merry band of information terrorists calling themselves the Phantom Thieves. What do you think you're doing?"

Ren's Thievul huffed loudly. Akechi's Corviknight glared at him. 

"Just because you openly hate the Phantom Thieves," Ren said, trying to keep his voice flippant in the face of Akechi's sudden and admittedly terrifying fury, "doesn't mean you can go around accusing innocent people of being one of them, _Detective_."

"You are the farthest thing from innocent," Akechi hissed. "I know about your criminal background. Assault is a serious crime."

Ren froze. His Thievul growled at Akechi, causing Akechi's Corviknight to let out a warning cry. 

"It's okay," Ren murmured to his Thievul. His Thievul quieted, but didn't back down from returning the Corviknight's glare. Ren gritted his teeth and took a leaf out of his Thievul's book, letting the anger that he'd been building up over the past year shine through his glare. "Isn't it rude to just look into someone's background like that? Detective or not—"

"It isn't when the subject is being considered a suspect for a crime," Akechi shot back. Their Pokemon both stepped towards one another, and they both spared a moment to make sure a fight wasn't going to break out.

"Where's your proof?"

Akechi's smirk sent chills down Ren's spine. "Proof? Oh, you mean how your travel expenses are far more than what your meager salary as a barista should offer? Or how, despite failing out of the Kanto Gym Challenge with a meager three badges, you've somehow managed to survive in areas like Mt. Silver? Or, perhaps," Akechi said, tone suddenly becoming light and conversational, "how your wide net of confidants range from boring, mundane people like Ryuji Sakamoto all the way to such esteemed members of high society like Haru Okamura? Or perhaps your contacts within the police, like Makoto Nijima? Or that aforementioned charge of Madarame's, Yusuke Kitagawa—"

"Enough," Ren snapped, and Akechi closed his mouth with a triumphant, smug smile.

Pretending was pointless.

"Are you here to arrest me?" Ren asked darkly. Akechi let out a laugh. 

"Are you admitting your crimes? I have to admit, I'm surprised; I was hoping that you would put up more of a fight."

Those words, as it turned out, were the wrong ones to use, because as soon as Akechi said them, Ren's Thievul leapt at Akechi's Corviknight.

"Stop," Ren shouted, but it was no use. His Thievul tried to bite the Corviknight's legs, but the flying Pokemon flew up and dodged the attack.

"Robin Hood," Akechi said sternly, "leave it alone. A weak Pokemon like that isn't worth your time."

Thievul growled at Akechi, and Akechi's Corviknight sent out a gust of wind as warning.

"Robin Hood," Akechi said again before turning to Ren. "Do something about your Pokemon!"

"Right." As dispassionately as he could, Ren said: "Thievul. Stop that."

"What kind of terrible trainer are you," Akechi shouted, and then all hell broke loose.

Ren's Thievul jumped up as high as he could, aiming at Corviknight. Corviknight flew up even higher, and when Thievul realized he wasn't going to be able to reach, he attempted to turn in midair. That, predictably, failed, and somehow his flailing caused him to slam right into Akechi.

Man and Pokemon went down in a pile of yips and shouts. Akechi's Corviknight, seeing his trainer go down, screeched loudly and rushed down with his talons out. However, upon seeing that there would be no way to attack Thievul without also harming Akechi, he stopped himself a few meters above them, flapping his wings in distress and crying out.

Ren stood with his hands in his pockets and watched the madness for a little while. Then, after a few seconds of watching Akechi attempt to wrestle his Thievul, Ren decided to do something.

"Thievul," Ren said sharply. "Come back. Let him go."

His Thievul scrambled out of Akechi's way, not-so-innocently kicking back a clump of dust towards Akechi in the process. He ran back to hide behind Ren, wary of Corviknight attacking him, then poked his moustache and snout out from behind Ren's legs and blew a raspberry at the other Pokemon.

"That's enough," Ren murmured. "I know taunting him is fun, but he is stronger than you."

Thievul gave him a betrayed look.

"How you've managed to keep your Trainer's License," Akechi hissed as he stood up, brushing dirt off his clothes, "is beyond me."

Ren shrugged. "They hand those out to ten year olds. It's not hard to keep one."

Ren snapped his mouth shut when Akechi shot him a death glare.

"I should arrest you," Akechi said. His Corviknight landed with an impressive thump, situating his body so that it partially covered Akechi from Ren and Thievul. 

Ren stared at Akechi over one of Corviknight's wings. "Should?"

Akechi made a face like he'd just eaten something extremely unpleasant. Ren watched it for a few seconds as Akechi struggled with his words.

"You," he said hesitantly, "did assist us in the end with Kaneshiro. The International Police have been trying to pin him down for years; we finally were able to arrest him this afternoon."

Ren tried not to smile, he really did. "You're welcome."

Akechi gave him a nasty look. "However, if I find out that you or any of the Phantom Thieves even have a single toe out of line, I will arrest you and throw you into jail before that Klefki of yours can even _think_ about setting up the field."

Oh, hell. Of course Akechi knew about his Klefki. Ren laughed weakly, and Akechi sighed and ran a gloved hand through his hair.

"You have," he said softly, "no idea what you're meddling in. Team United Future is more dangerous than you think."

"I think we have a good idea of exactly what they're like."

"No, you don't." Akechi looked at Ren, and the blank expression in his eyes made Ren freeze. In a clipped, cold tone of voice, Akechi said: "If you become one of Team United Future's targets, there will be nothing anyone can do for you. Their targets don't get away. They vanish completely, with no remains left behind. This isn't a game you want to play, Amamiya."

"All the more reason to keep doing what I'm doing."

Akechi narrowed his eyes. "Fine. But if you vanish off the face of the planet, I won't mourn you."

Ren shrugged. "You sure about that? Because if I didn't know better, Detective, I'd think you actually cared about me."

Akechi didn't bother responding. Instead, he climbed onto his Corviknight's back and gave Ren a look of complete and utter disdain.

"One step out of line, and you'll be in prison for the rest of your life," he said. "I don't make idle threats."

"Great," Ren said sarcastically. "Looking forward to you arresting me, then. It's a date."

Akechi's Corviknight flapped way, way more than he needed to in order to take off. Thievul had to actually push against Ren's back to keep him standing against the gusts that Corviknight sent out.

Ren watched Akechi fly away, the waning sunlight glinting off Corviknight's wings. When they were out of sight, he sighed and looked down at Thievul.

"Did you get it?"

Thievul let out a wide grin before opening his mouth and spitting out a slobber-soaked wallet.

"Good boy," Ren said, pulling on a pair of gloves before picking up the waterlogged wallet. He worked quickly, sliding out every card that Akechi carried in there and shoving it into a specially made card reader that Futaba had gotten for him. It would not only copy whatever data was attached to the chips embedded into the cards, but also automatically forward that information to Futaba herself.

There were work IDs, membership cards to various bulk shopping centers, a very interesting blank white card with nothing on it, credit cards, frequent traveller cards... Ren scanned them all.

Then, after he was done, he rooted around Akechi's wallet. Other than a handful of soggy bills and receipts, however, there was nothing else of interest. There were no photographs, no hastily scribbled notes, nothing. Even the receipts were dull. They were for restaurants; Akechi liked sushi.

Ren sighed and took a seat on a nearby bench, then set Akechi's wallet on the ground next to his feet. His Thievul leapt onto the bench next to him and curled up into a ball. Ren peeled off his gloves, tossed them into the trash, and then started absentmindedly petting Thievul.

It wouldn't take long for Akechi to notice his wallet was missing. He was probably on his way back now. Ren should have contacted at least Futaba and let her know that Akechi knew who they all were, and if he didn't believe that Ren's Thievul had acted on his own, Ren was going to have to go on the run.

But he didn't. Instead, he gazed at the distant horizon. The sun had set; the last streaks of red and orange were giving way to the dark blue of night.

Ren sat and waited for the telltale sign of moonlight glinting off silver wings.


End file.
